Imee: There are cracks in UniTeam

The so-called UniTeam, the coalition that brought President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte into power, has shown cracks, Senator Imee Marcos said on Wednesday.

Senator Marcos pointed it out when asked about their family’s relationship with the Dutertes amid the ongoing word war between her brother, Marcos Jr., and his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, whom he considers a “close friend.”

“I think there is already a crack in the UniTeam. There is a rift in the alliance,” she said.

She, however, underscored that the relationship between the principals of the coalition remains intact.

“However, I think the principals are okay. The ones causing a rift are those who are surrounding them, the devils and snakes in the Palace,” she said.

On Tuesday, Marcos Jr. was asked the same question in a press briefing in Vietnam following his tirades against Duterte, the father of the vice president.

"Uniteam is not just one or two or three parties. It's the unification of all the political forces to come together for the good of the country," the president said.

"It is still there, still vibrant, still working, and we will continue to work on that basis,” he added.

‘Drug test’

Senator Marcos also maintained her distance on the ongoing feud between her brother and the older Duterte who accused each other of being a substance abuser.

“Why should I make a choice? I love them both. What I don’t like is what causing a stain in our name which we have worked hard on in the past 36 years,” she said.

When asked for a comment about Duterte’s dare to her brother to undergo a drug test in public to prove that he is not a drug user, Imee said: “I have not heard of it. I don’t know anything about drugs so I would not join in the discussion. I will leave it to them.”

Before departing for his official visit to Vietnam on Monday, the president took a swipe against the 78-year-old former president.

“I think it’s the fentanyl,” he said when asked for a reaction to the former president’s accusation against him that he is a “drug addict.”

“Fentanyl is the strongest painkiller you can buy. It is highly addictive and it has very serious side effects and PRRD has been taking the drug for a very long time now,” he added.

For his part, the former president accused his successor of being a drug addict during the prayer rally organized by his supporters in Davao City.

“When I was the mayor, the (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) presented evidence to me. Your name was on the (drug) list. I didn’t want to reveal it because we were friends, or if not friends, at least acquaintances,” Duterte said.

However, such a claim was refuted by the PDEA the following day, stressing that the president’s name was never listed on their drug watch list.

Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, the youngest son of the former president, also hit Marcos Jr., whom he accused of being lazy and prioritizing their politics over the welfare of Filipinos.

“Instead of opening up new opportunities, especially for those in the lower classes to improve the lives of the Filipinos, they are focusing on themselves,” he said.

“Mr. President, if you don’t have love and aspirations for your country, resign,” he added.